


Love Wandered Inside

by TheLittleRedWhoCouldWrite



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, idk what else to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 08:25:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18824893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLittleRedWhoCouldWrite/pseuds/TheLittleRedWhoCouldWrite
Summary: Danny's day-to-day life as a security guard at Heathrow Airport gets a little more interesting when he meets a certain Navy SEAL and his K9 partner.Betaed by nihilvanum





	Love Wandered Inside

**Author's Note:**

> Art to be added later.
> 
> I know almost nothing about working at Heathrow airport or specifically at the Animal Reception Center. What I do know I learned from Animal Airport on Netflix.

In Danny’s honest opinion, a boring day is a good day. Especially in an airport.

The most exciting thing that’s happened so far today was a little old lady who was pissed that her bottle of hand sanitizer was a few ounces too big and had to be thrown away. Danny is getting to be a expert at talking down little old ladies. He’s not sure if that’s something to be proud of or not.

As Grace happily informed him when he first got hired, Heathrow Airport, located fourteen miles - “twenty-three kilometers,” according to Grace - west of Central London, is one of the busiest airports in the world. It handles over fifty million passengers every year. Danny is well aware of that number as he works his way through Terminal 3, keeping an eye on the crowds of travelers. Airports are always such a strange mix of families, adventurers, and businessmen from all over the globe, especially in a major international airport like Heathrow.

A small child - Danny estimates five or six years old - appears through the crowd. Huge brown eyes peer up at the people around him from under a shock of curly black hair and Danny instantly knows the kid is lost. The kid's eyes light up when he sees Danny and he runs over.

“Hey,” Danny says gently, crouching to put himself at eye level with the child. “Are you lost?”

The kid nods, quick little head bobs that make his hair bounce.

“What's your name?” Danny asks.

“Shawn Singer,” the boy whispers. He has an American accent and seems to be soothed by Danny's own American accent. It must be nice to find something familiar in the huge crowd of strangers.

“Shawn? I'm Danny. What's your mom's name?”

Shawn shakes his head. “I don't have a mom. I have two dads, though.”

“ _ Two _ dads?” Danny says in over dramatized amazement. “That's so cool. What are their names?”

“RJ and Connor,” Shawn tells him.

“Okay,” Danny says with a nod. “I'm gonna take you to a desk and we'll call for your dads on the PA system.”

Shawn willingly takes the hand offered to him and Danny leads him through the crowd to the closest information desk. He recognizes the woman working there, Amanda. She smiles sweetly at him.

“Hi, Danny,” she coos. “How are you today?”

“Hi, Amanda,” he replies, ignoring the obvious flirting. “Got a lost kid. I need you to get on the PA system and call for RJ and Connor Singer.”

Amanda immediately sobers up. “Of course!” She gives Shawn a gentle smile. “Would you like a sucker while we wait for them?”

Shawn, who's hiding behind Danny's legs, perks up at that offer. Danny chuckles and lifts him up onto an empty chair. Amanda offers him his pick from the jar of suckers kept on the desk for this exact purpose. Shawn picks root beer, happily tearing off the wrapper and popping it in his mouth.

Amanda gets on the intercom, calling for RJ and Connor Singer. Danny watches the crowds and soon sees a young couple moving toward the desk, practically tripping over their suitcases in their haste. Danny moves around the desk to intercept them.

“We were called up?” one of them says, the expression of hope and panic leaving no doubt in Danny's mind that these are Shawn's parents. He has protocol to follow, though.

“I need to see some ID,” Danny says, voice gentle but firm.

“Of course!” the other man replies, fumbling in the satchel slung over his shoulder for a set of passports - Connor Singer, his husband RJ, and their five year old son Shawn. Danny gives each passport a once over before handing them back.

“This way.”

The couple follows him around the counter, where Shawn is picking a small sheet of puppy stickers from the selection Amanda is offering. He glances over at them and it's like his whole body lights up with joy.

“Daddy! Papa!” he squeals around his sucker, scrambling off the chair and throwing himself into Connor's open arms. Both Connor and RJ curl around the boy, sheltering him from the world as they both scold him for wandering off and proclaim their love for him. Danny smiles at the sight.

“We can't thank you enough,” RJ tells Danny, taking some bags from Connor so his husband can pick their son up.

“Just doing my job,” Danny replies. “You guys have a good flight.”

Shawn waves goodbye with his sheet of stickers as the little family heads off. Danny waves back.

Just then, his radio crackles to life and the voice of a fellow security officer, James, sounds in Danny's ear.

“Got a bit of a situation down here at the ARC. Requesting an officer for back up. The ARC van is finishing a pick up at Terminal 3 and will be able to give anyone near there a lift.”

Danny glances out the window as he listens, catching sight of the van in question down by where a plane is being unloaded. He presses the button to respond, tilting his head to speak into the microphone as he ducks through an “Employees Only” door. “This is Danny. I'm in Terminal 3, making my way down to the tarmac. What's the situation?”

“Glad I got you. We've got an angry American sailor down here and I think it's gonna take another American to make him see sense.”

Danny rolls his eyes.  _ Of course _ . “I'll catch a ride with the ARC van. See you in a few.”

James signs off and Danny continues his trek to outside, taking behind the scenes passages until he reaches the tarmac. From there he locates the ARC van, parked near the base of a conveyor belt that's unloading luggage from the belly of a plane. Susan, a sturdy woman about Danny's age, is arranging pet carriers in the back as they come off the plane.

“Need a hand?” Danny calls as he approaches, catching her attention.

“Hiya, Danny!” Susan answers, settling a cat in the van. “That was actually the last one. What can I do for ya?”

“I need to hitch a ride to the ARC. James called for backup.”

Susan nods, double checking that all the carriers are secure before closing the big doors. “Well, your timing is perfect. I'm ready to head back. Hop in.”

* * *

 

The Animal Reception Center, fondly nicknamed the ARC, is a non-descript single story building. It's basically passport control for animals, as far as Danny understands. The building consists of a waiting room and offices in the front, kennels and a variety of rooms which can be adapted to the needs of almost any animal, vet services, and a loading bay at the rear of the building.

The van pulls into the loading bay and Danny jumps out. He's met by James, a young security guard Danny's worked a few night shifts with. He hates night shifts, but James is a good kid.

“What's the situation?” Danny asks, following James through the hallways. They pass kennels containing dogs and cats of every shape and size, a kennel housing the biggest rabbit Danny's ever seen, and a room where a branch system has been set up for a pair of snowy owls.

“Ya never know what you're gonna see here,” Danny observes, eyeing the elegant birds through the window in the doors with a sense of wonder. Grace is going to freak out when he tells her.

“For sure,” James agrees. “Remember those cheetahs?”

Danny chuckles at the memory. Three cheetahs had stopped over on their way to a zoo in Moscow and two had ended up staying a while because their identifying microchips couldn't be located. “That was a fun one for sure. Grace asked about them for weeks.”

“Do you blame her? Those were cool.”

They're nearing the front of the ARC now. “Wanna tell me what I'm about to walk into?” Danny prompts again.

“Oh yeah. This guy's dog has to stay here for some reason and he's understandably pretty upset. He's making everyone nervous.”

Danny hears this man before they see him - a loud, deep voice telling someone to “call again because the Navy does not make mistakes like this.”

“Oh, joy,” Danny mutters under his breath as they push open the door into the waiting room.

_ Hoooooly shit _ .

The man is  _ gorgeous.  _ Tall - much taller than Danny - with close cropped dark hair. He looks amazing in his blue Navy fatigues, which hide much of his shape but still give Danny the idea of a long, lean build. Something about the uniform makes him look bigger than he already is, towering over Maddie, the manager on duty. His head snaps up when Danny enters the room, nostrils flaring and eyes narrowing. Danny's instincts scream at him that this man is  _ dangerous  _ and he should probably get out of there, but there's no way Danny is going to let this asshole continue to try and bully his way into getting what he wants. Even if he is seriously hot.

“Sir,” Danny says sternly. “I need you to take a step back and calm down.”

“Or what?” the man growls, taking a step in Danny's direction.

“Sir,” Danny repeats. “Take a step back.”

The man stands his ground a moment, maintaining eye contact the entire time. Then, very slowly and without lowering his gaze, he steps backwards.

“Thank you.” Danny doesn't relax his stance - something about it seems to prompt some form of respect in this guy and he needs to maintain that if this is going to end peacefully. “Maddie, you wanna tell me what's going on?”

Maddie has a thick Cockney accent that Danny struggled to understand for months. He's proud to say he now understands  _ most _ of what she's saying.

“Mr. McGarrett -” she begins.

“Commander McGarrett,” the man snaps.

She shoots him a nervous glance. “Apologies. Commander McGarrett's dog has an injury which has been aggravated by the trip he's taken so far, despite being okayed to travel by a Navy vet. In addition to that, he’s missing the signature for his rabies vaccine. It's probably just an honest mistake in the part of the vet who check him over but we must take this seriously and Eddie must stay here in quarantine until our vet indicates that he's well enough to make the remaining trip.”

Danny nods - the ARC's rules on these sorts of situations are very strict. It's all in order to prevent further harm to the animal, but it's caused many a pet owner stress. “I understand why this is so upsetting. No one wants to leave their pet in the care of strangers-”

McGarrett's jaw clenches. “Eddie is not a pet. He is a trained SEAL team member and my K9 partner.”

Oh. Well, that explains McGarrett's behavior a little more. Danny isn't a K9 officer - he chose the detective route instead - but he's worked with many K9 officers and their handlers, both as a guard in Heathrow and as an officer in Newark, New Jersey. He's seen first hand how powerful the bond between dog and human is. He can imagine that bond is even stronger in the SEALs.

“I understand.” Danny keeps his voice level but firm. “But they're not doing this because they want to hurt you. This is a decision that was made with Eddie's needs in mind. I can assure you, Eddie is in the best hands here and will be very comfortable while he heals.”

McGarrett bristles but Danny stands strong.

“What’s more important?” Danny asks. “Eddie’s needs? Or your wants?”

At that, the Navy man crumples in on himself.

“I'm sorry “ he says quietly. “He's my best friend and I don't want to him to hurt but I can't…”

“You're not abandoning him,” Danny assures him, allowing himself to soften a little. “He'll be released when he's okayed to travel and allowed to follow you to wherever it is you're going.”

McGarrett nods, rubbing a hand over his face. “Can I… can I at least see him before I go?”

Maddie hesitates. It's against the rules, Danny knows, but McGarrett looks nothing like the angry, threatening figure he was before. He looks more like a sad, scared child - just like Shawn looked not even thirty minutes ago.

_ Goddammit. _

“I can take him,” Danny offers, lowering his voice. “Which kennel is Eddie in?”

Maddie glances between the two of them and then gives in with a sigh. “He's in twenty-eight. Make it quick.”

Danny nods and beckons to McGarrett. “Follow me, sir.”

* * *

 

Eddie is a sweet yellow lab who whimpers and wriggles and wags his tail at the speed of light when McGarrett approaches the kennel with Danny. He looks like he wants to jump against the door, but some kind of injury prevents that, if the thick bandages around his right shoulder are any indication.

Danny opens the kennel door and McGarrett hits the ground, cross-legged with his arms open wide to greet Eddie. He takes all the licking like a champ, hugging his dog loosely and speaking in what Danny would label a baby voice - though he feels like McGarrett might kill him if he voiced that thought,  so he chooses to keep it to himself.

“What happened to his shoulder?” Danny asks instead.

“He was shot,” McGarrett answers, scratching a spot near Eddie's tail that makes the dog tuck his head down and arch into the contact. He smiles fondly at Eddie but there's a hint if sadness in his expression. “He has to retire now.”

Danny feels a pang at that - he's heard stories of former military dogs who can't find new homes after retirement. “Where will he go?”

“Home with me,” is the reply. “I'm going into the Reserves and Eddie is coming with me.”

Silence settles over them for a minute or two, broken only by Eddie's little snuffling sounds and McGarrett's quiet laughter. Danny's reluctant to pull the two apart - it's clear they have a special bond - but Maddie said to be quick.

“Time to go,” Danny says gently.

McGarrett sighs, tucking his head down against Eddie's neck. In that moment, an idea comes to Danny that he knows would make the separation easier for at least McGarrett, if not both of them.

“I'll keep an eye on him.”

* * *

 

The hotel bar is quiet, only a few people on stools and at a pool table. Danny wasn't expecting crowds - it's a Tuesday night, after all. He wouldn't even be here usually but McGarrett wanted to get to know the guy who would be keeping an eye on Eddie. He has to spend the night in London before continuing on to Hawaii in the morning.

McGarrett is already seated at the bar, beer in hand. He's swapped his fatigues for a cargo pants and a blue t-shirt that, in addition to clinging to the muscles of his chest and shoulders, make his hazel-blue eyes that much more striking even in the dim light.

“Hey,” Danny says, sliding onto the stool beside him.

McGarrett nods in acknowledgment, looking a little hesitant still.

“I feel like we didn't really get a proper introduction earlier,” Danny continues. He sticks out his hand. “Danny Williams.”

McGarrett sets his beer down and shakes Danny's hand, long fingers curling around Danny's smaller hand. “Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett.”

“Please to meet you.” Danny signals to the bartender and orders one of “whatever he's having.”

“So,” McGarrett says once Danny's beer has been delivered.  “What's a Jersey native doing in London?”

“Whoa, wait, how'd you know I'm from Jersey?” Danny eyes the man. “You call up some sort of top secret friend in high places to learn all my dirty secrets? ‘Cause that's creepy, McGarrett.”

McGarrett laughs, a low sound that makes Danny's stomach do funny things. His smile is wide and gummy, crinkling his eyes up in a surprisingly endearing way. “Call me Steve,” the man says. “And no. Don't need friends in high places for this. You have a bit of an accent, buddy. It's hard to miss, especially in the land of the Queen.”

“Land of the Queen?” Danny chuckles. “Yeah, I'm from Jersey, but my ex wife isn't and when she moved our daughter here to be closer to Rachel's parents, I followed.” He eyes their surroundings. “Not an ideal location but what can I do? Where Grace goes, I go.”

Steve is still smiling but it softens as Danny talks about Grace. “Sounds like you're a pretty good dad.”

“Yeah, well,” Danny takes a sip of his beer, “I do my best. Rachel doesn't always make it easy. What about you? Anyone waiting for you in Hawaii?”

Steve shakes his head, sobering up. “No. My job hasn't left much room for dating and I haven't been back to Hawaii in a few years. It's just been me and Eddie.”

“Speaking of,” Danny says, taking advantage of the opportunity to discuss the real reason they decided to meet. “Tell me about Eddie.”

The mention of Eddie seems to simultaneously brighten and dampen Steve's mood. “I didn't really  _ plan _ on being a K9 operator. It just happened. Eddie's actually my second dog and while I loved my first, who I only worked with for a year before she had to retire, Eddie's different from the other SEAL dogs.”

Danny has a feeling most K9 handlers would say that about their dog but he doesn't comment. Instead, he chooses to stay quiet in the hopes that Steve will fill the silence - a trick he picked up early on in his police career.

Sure enough, Steve keeps talking. “Eddie's the only labrador I've seen in a SEAL team. I had to fight to have him as my dog. The guys in charge didn't think an ‘common lab’” the words are said with a bitterness and some finger quotes that tell Danny all he needs to know “could be as good as the usual breed, Belgian Malinois. They changed their minds pretty quick once we were in the field, though.”

Steve falls silent then, taking a swig of his beer. Danny waits a moment to see if Steve will keep talking. When he doesn't, Danny asks, “What happened?”

Steve chuckles, a low sound that sends pleasant shivers down Danny's spine, and turns towards him, leaning in.  “I'd tell you,” he says “but then I'd have to kill you.”

Danny rolls his eyes, which prompts another laugh from Steve. Just then, Danny's phone buzzes. He pulls his phone out and can't help a frown when he sees who's calling.

“Ex-wife,” he says in explanation. “Sorry, I have to take this.”

Steve gives him a little wave of his beer bottle, straightening up on his stool. “Go ahead.”

Danny presses the phone to his ear, letting out all the sarcasm he can muster in his next words. “Yes, dear?”

“Hi, Danno!”

It's like the whole world brightens around Danny when he hears that voice. “Hi, monkey! Does your mom know you have her phone?”

“Of course,” Grace sighs. Danny can  _ hear _ her eye roll. Definitely his child. “I wanted to tell you about my maths test.”

Maths. She's already been in London too long in Danny's honest opinion, which he will never share with his ex wife because he likes his balls attached to his body, thank you very much.

“I would love to hear all about your test,” Danny tells her. “But I’m in the middle of something for work.” He knows she’s gearing up to pull out that sweet voice he can never resist, so he keeps talking. “How about this. I’ll call back in one hour. You can tell me about your test and I’ll tell you about work. Okay?”

“It’s a date!” Grace says brightly.

Danny can see her in his mind’s eye, bouncing on that fancy couch in Rachel’s living room with her little feet swinging. He wonders if Rachel managed to get her to wear matching socks today. “It’s a date,” he echoes. “Danno loves you.”

“Love you, too, Danno!”

Danny tucks his phone away and turns his attention back to Steve, who clearly was listening and is curious, but is trying to pretend he wasn’t and isn’t.

Danny rolls his eyes. “Go on. Spit it out.”

“ _ Danno? _ ” Steve questions.

“That’s between me and my daughter,” Danny says sternly, shaking his finger at Steve. “Not for you.”

“Fine, fine,” Steve replies, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. “I won’t ask.”

“Thank you. I don’t want to call Grace back until I’m home and it’s about a thirty minute trip back to my apartment, so you have me for the next half hour. Tell me more about Eddie.”

Steve is more than happy to oblige, turning completely sideways on the stool to face Danny. Danny finds himself mirroring Steve. Over the next thirty minutes, Danny learns a lot about Eddie. His favorite treat is carrots - “Carrots?” “Dogs are omnivores, Daniel.” “Don’t call me Daniel, you sound like my ex wife.” - and he loves to play fetch - “He taught himself? I thought dogs were just born with that knowledge.” “I don’t fucking know. The other dogs seemed to think he was weird.” “Huh.”

“What happened to his shoulder?” Danny inquires, signalling for another beer.

Steve sobers up at that question, picking at the label of his beer. “I can’t tell you much,” he says after a long moment of silence. “The mission was and is classified. Most of my time in the SEALs is.”

Danny nods in understanding, sensing that he should keep his mouth shut for a minute or two and let Steve get this out without interruption.

“We were heading a mission to pick up a wanted criminal. It was the usual - parachute in, take out the guards, get the bad guy. Everything went as planned right up until we were transporting our prisoner to another location. We were ambushed and Eddie… Eddie took a bullet for me. Doc said Eddie’s shoulder will never be the same.”

His voice catches a little and he stops talking, taking a sip of his beer as he clearly wrestles his emotions back under control. Danny doesn’t comment. Instead, he decides to change the subject a little.

“You said you’re going into the Reserves. What are you going to do in Hawaii?”

Danny was hoping that would lighten the mood a little but apparently not. He’s surprised to see Steve’s jaw clench, fingers tightening around his beer before he takes a drink.

“I don’t really know,” Steve finally says. “The ambush… it was organized by the brother of the man we captured. He… he tried leverage my father’s life for his brother’s, but the brother was killed in the ambush so Victor...” Steve’s voice breaks completely this time and Danny feels a sharp pain in his chest in response. Steve turns his head away, drawing a deep breath. “Sorry. It’s still fresh.”

“Steve,” Danny says quietly. “I’m sorry.”

Steve nods in acceptance. “I’ll be getting home in time for the funeral. After that… I don’t know. Victor was killed in a shootout with police when he tried to escape the island, so there’s nothing I can do there. The governor wants me to lead some sort of task force, though. Something to deter men like Victor from even coming to Hawaii in the first place.”

“Sounds like the perfect place for a Navy SEAL,” Danny points out.

Steve grants Danny with a thoughtful smile - small and a little sweet. “You think so? What does a security guard know about law enforcement?”

Danny rolls his eyes. “This security guard certainly knows more than you, Rambo. You’re talking to a detective.”

Steve straightens up at that, like the title of “Detective” is more than enough to make him give Danny a little more respect. “I didn’t realize.”

“Yeah, most people don’t,” Danny replies, unable to keep a little bitterness out of his voice. “Couldn’t get detective job here, so security it is. It pays the bills.”

“Sometimes that’s all you can ask for,” Steve points out.

Danny shrugs. “As long as it keeps me near Grace, I’ll take it.”

Steve is smiling again, soft as he looks Danny over, and bumps their knees together. “Like I said earlier. You’re a good dad.”

* * *

 

The rest of their thirty minutes together pass far too quickly and part of Danny doesn’t want to go home to his empty apartment - flat. Whatever. Not when Steve is stumbling out of the bar - pub? Is there a difference? - beside him, laughing at one of Danny’s stories from his time in Jersey. Steve has one arm slung lazily around Danny’s shoulders and the proximity is doing funny things he hasn’t felt in a while to Danny’s stomach.

The night air is cool on Danny’s skin. He shivers a little at the initial temperature change but it actually feels pretty nice.

“Cold?” Steve asks. He’s still smiling, a wide, gummy smile that’s such a sharp contrast to Danny’s initial impression of him.

Danny shakes his head but Steve pulls him closer and suddenly their faces are only inches apart. Danny stares up at him, breath catching in his throat at the sight of striking hazel blue eyes so close to his own. Thought goes out the window. Common sense? Nonexistent.

Steve’s lips, however. Those are soft and warm and a little hesitant. When Danny slides a hand up his chest, his neck, to curl around the back of his head, Steve seems to gain confidence. Danny presses close, soaking in everything this gorgeous man has to offer.

“Damn,” Danny breathes when they finally come up for air.

Steve laughs. “Damn is right.”

They kiss again, a little more intense than before. Danny groans against Steve’s mouth, plastering their bodies together.

“Fuck,” Steve gasps.

“I really want to invite you back to my place,” Danny says honestly. “But that’s probably a bad idea.”

“Yeah?” Steve’s arm is curled around Danny’s lower back, fitting there like it was made to.

“Yeah.” Danny picks at the collar of Steve’s t-shirt. “I have a phone date with my daughter. You have an early flight.” He hates that he has to be rational about this - there are few things he wants more in this moment than to take Steve home and explore every inch of his body. But they can’t and they both know it.

“You’re right,” Steve says, resting his forehead against Danny’s.

“It’s not like we’re never going to talk again,” Danny points out. “You have my contact info. I’ll be at least emailing you on a daily basis.”

“You’re right,” Steve repeats then he smiles, that goofy smile that’s fast becoming Danny’s favorite. “One more for the road?”

Danny laughs but curls his fingers into Steve’s short hair and pulls his head down again. “One more for the road.”

* * *

 

Danny wakes the next morning with a text from Steve on his phone.

_ From Steve: Made it to the airport. Just wanted to let you know. _

Danny smiles and types out a quick reply, knowing Steve won’t get it for - he glances at the clock and does some quick mental math - at least another fifteen hours, but possible longer.

_ To Steve: Glad you got there safely. Let me know when you land. I’ll be heading to work soon, so I’ll text an update on Eddie later today. _

Danny takes a quick shower, and then dresses in his uniform while his coffee brews. After packing a lunch, he grabs a muffin from the stash Grace helped him make and freeze last time she stayed over, popping it in the microwave for a minute to defrost while he puts his shoes on. Cardboard travel cup of coffee and warm muffin in hand, he heads out the door.

London morning traffic is bad but it’s nothing compared to Jersey and Danny finds himself bobbing his head along to the radio as he drives. He’s in an inexplicably good mood this morning.

_ Well,  _ he thinks, remembering the events of the night before and feeling his cheeks warm a little at the memory.  _ Maybe not that inexplicable. _

Apparently today is just going to be good in general. Danny manages to nab a great parking space in the garage, giving himself less of a walk to the locker room. He already planned on arriving to work early, so that bit of extra time he doesn’t have to spend hiking across the parking garage is more time he can spend checking up on Eddie.

He talked to his supervisor before leaving work to meet Steve last night and Kacey gave him the go ahead to change up his morning and end of shift routines a little bit to give him the chance to go to the ARC. After clocking in and putting his lunch box in his locker, that’s where he heads first.

* * *

 

“Morning, Danny. What're you doing down here?”

Danny waves to Jonathan, the morning receptionist, and takes a sip of his coffee. “Just wanted to check on Eddie,” he says.

“Eddie?” Jonathan lifts an eyebrow and Danny realizes he probably hasn’t heard the story yet.

“One of the dogs that came in yesterday,” Danny explains. “He has a shoulder wound and is stuck here for the next month or so while he heals up. I promised his owner I would check up on him a few times a day.”

“That was nice of you. You can head on back. They should be doing food rounds right now.”

“Sounds good.”

Danny waves to Jonathan again and a few other employees he can see in the office as he passes. He finishes his coffee and tosses the cup in a trash can as his passes.

The quarantine section is pretty noisy. Danny run into a few interns who are feeding the various animals. Those who haven't gotten their breakfast yet are making a racket, trying to get the attention of the people with the food.

Eddie's kennel is near the back and, to Danny's surprise, he already has a visitor. Danny realizes he shouldn't be surprised, though, when he recognizes the in-house vet, Mark.

“Hey, Danny,” Mark says. He's careful peeling away Eddie's bandages. “Here to give me a hand?”

“Doesn't look like you really need one,” Danny observes. Eddie is lying still on the floor of his kennel, head on his paws. He looks up at Danny without lifting his head and looks so pathetic when he does, it's heartbreaking.

Danny lowers himself to sit on the other side of Eddie, reaching out to gently scratch his ears. Eddie's tail thumps against the floor a few times in response but that's it.

“Poor guy,” Mark says. “Being in quarantine is rough.”

Danny nods. “It's probably even harder for Eddie because his owner, Steve, had to head on to Hawaii. Eddie's a military dog and he has a really strong bond with Steve. They're partners. It was really hard for Steve to leave him behind. I can imagine it's no easier for Eddie.”

“I heard about yesterday,” Mark replies. “I'm no dog whisperer but having a regular visitor should make the separation easier. Maybe you can get him to eat.”

“He's not eating?”  _ Shit, already? That's not good. _

Mark shakes his head, taping down clean bandages and beginning to gather up his supplies. “He didn't eat his dinner last night and he hasn't touched his breakfast.”

Danny frowns, letting Eddie's good shoulder. “I thought it would take a while for him to realize Steve wasn't coming back.”

“Dogs always know. My own dog can always tell when I'm leaving, even if it's just for work. According to my flatmate, she spend the whole day moping.”

Danny nods thoughtfully, studying Eddie. Hopefully they can get him to eat soon. Danny promised to take care of the dog and be intends to keep that promise.

* * *

 

Danny is unfortunately unable to coax Eddie to eat before he has to start his rounds. He can't help feeling terrible -day one and he's already screwing up. He sends Steve a quick text, not wanting to leave him in the dark.

_ To Steve: Eddie's injury is doing fine. He's missing you a lot, though. I don't want to worry you but so far he's refused two meals. I'm going to check in again at lunch and see what I can do. I'll keep you updated. _

Still worried, Danny goes about his morning. It's thankfully, for the most part, uneventful - the most exciting thing that happens is a sweet Middle Eastern lady who gets completely lost. Danny is able to guide her back to her own terminal with plenty of time before her flight begins boarding.

The only downside of a slow morning is it seems to drag on forever. Danny’s starting to get more than a little impatient by the time his lunch break rolls around. He clocks over to lunch and rushes to his locker for his lunchbox before heading over to the ARC.

Jonathan is still working. He waves Danny through and Danny heads straight back to the quarantine section. He finds the interns from earlier checking in on the animals.

“How’s Eddie doing?” Danny asks one of them - Ally? Something like that.

“He still hasn’t eaten,” she tells him. “But he drank some water and peed normally when I took him out.”

Danny nods. “Better than nothing, I guess. I’ll see if I can get him to eat, maybe interact a little bit. We just need to find something to brighten his mood.”

“Do you have experience with depression in dogs?” Ally inquires.

“A bit. My grandpa's dog got depressed after he passed. It took a while to get her to perk up again but we got there eventually. I'm hoping some of those tricks will work with Eddie.”

He peeks over the door of the kennel. Eddie is lying on his good side in a corner, looking like Eeyore - if Eeyore was a big yellow lab.

“Good luck,” Ally says. “Give us a shout if you need help with anything.”

“Will do.”

She moves away and Danny flicks open the latch on the kennel door. Eddie's eyes are on Danny as he enters the kennel and closes the door behind him, but the dog doesn't move.

“Hey, buddy,” Danny says quietly, setting down with his back against the door. “Mind if I join you for lunch?”

Danny unzips his lunchbox, revealing a sandwich, some chips, a small apple, and a bag of baby carrots. He opens the bag of carrots, hoping the smell will entice Eddie over. It definitely makes his ears perk up.

“You like carrots, right?” Danny ask, biting one in half.

Eddie is watching.

“C’mere,” Danny says, holding one half of the carrot out.

Eddie hesitates a moment but apparently not even missing Steve is enough to keep him from his love of carrots. The fact that he hasn’t eaten anything since Steve left is probably also a factor, because Eddie creeps closer until he’s sitting inches from Danny with an expectant expression.

Steve mentioned that Eddie knows some basic tricks on top of his SEAL training, so Danny decides to start with those.

“Shake,” he says, holding out his hand. When Eddie complies, Danny feels a swell of pride and hands over the bit of carrot. “Good boy!”

Eddie’s tail starts to wag a little, a sight that makes Danny feel even better. He gets Eddie to do a few more tricks before deciding the dog’s had plenty of carrots for one day - two or three is more than enough. Eddie pouts but Danny just puts the carrots away and moves on to eating his own sandwich, talking to Eddie all the while. At one point Danny reaches over and pulls Eddie’s abandoned bowl of dog food closer. Eddie shoots him a dirty look but does eat a few bites, so Danny decides to consider this lunch a win.

Danny finishes his own lunch and gives Eddie a few more scratches before he has to head back to work. He takes a quick picture of Eddie, who’s drinking some water, and texts Steve an update as he walks back to the locker room to return his lunchbox and clock in.

_ To Steve: Got Eddie to eat a little at lunch. He really does love carrots. He also did some basic tricks for me and seemed to perk up a little. _

* * *

 

Danny stops by again after his shift and somehow gets Eddie to eat a little bit of his dinner after he takes the dog out into one of the runs with Mark for some light exercise. Eddie seems eager to run and jump and do all the crazy shit he’s probably used to getting up to - Danny did research and let’s just say, Eddie knows how to jump out of airplanes - but his shoulder is definitely holding him back and he’s getting impatient.

“I’m glad he’s eating,” Mark says, watching Eddie sniff around the run. “I don’t know how you did it.”

Danny shrugs. “Just a little bit of positive reinforcement.”

“I think he likes you.”

“He better. I brought him carrots.”

* * *

 

_ To Steve: Eddie ate some dinner as well and spent time outside. He seems like he wants to be a hell of a lot more active than he can be right now. He’s going to be a handful once he’s healed, isn’t he? _

* * *

 

Danny doesn’t get any response from Steve before bed, which is understandable considering how long the flight from London to Honolulu is. He does wake up to one, though, almost 24 hours since Steve left London. Something about the sight of Steve’s name on his screen is enough to make his entire morning brighter.

_ From Steve: I’m glad you got at least a little bit of food in him. Eddie’s always been energetic, so I’m not surprised to hear he’s so impatient. Maybe you can try teaching him some new tricks? He doesn’t know much beyond the basics and they would at least keep him occupied. _

Danny types a quick reply, stretching lazily beneath his blankets, before getting up to get ready for the day. He finds himself with his phone in hand the whole time, eagerly awaiting every text from Steve.

_ To Steve: I’ll look some up. How was your flight? _

_ From Steve: Long. I’m just getting home. It’s been a busy few hours since I landed. _

_ To Steve: Anything you can talk about? Or would you have to kill me? _

_ From Steve: Very funny. This stuff isn’t top secret anymore. _

_ To Steve: Lucky me _

_ From Steve: Are you sure about that? I might come complain to you about work all the time now. _

_ To Steve: Hey, the security guard life isn’t that exciting. I’m living vicariously through you. _

_ To Steve: Assuming you took the governor’s job _

_ From Steve: I did. I already have some team members. It’s just the three of us right now but I like a small team. _

_ To Steve: Tell me about them? _

_ From Steve: Call me? _

Danny frowns, pausing in the packing of his lunch. He hits the little “call” button and presses his phone to his ear.

“Hello, Detective Williams.”

_ God, that voice. _

“Commander McGarrett,” Danny replies, leaning against the counter and smirking into the phone.

Steve laughs, making Danny’s stomach do flips and  _ fuck _ . They’ve barely known each other two days. No one, not even Rachel, has ever made Danny feel like this. 

“I’m not the biggest fan of texting,” Steve admits. “Talking is just so much easier.”

“Admit it, you missed the sound of my voice.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Steve’s tone is light, teasing. “I’m only tolerating you for Eddie’s sake.”

Danny rolls his eyes, propping his phone between his ear and shoulder so he can finish his lunch. “I appreciate the warning. Now tell me about your new employees.”

“Team members.”

Danny chuckles. “You’re the boss of them, babe. Employees.”

Steve scoffs. “Call Kono an employee and she’ll knock your teeth out.”

Kono Kalakaua, Danny soon learns, is the youngest team member of the Governor's Task Force - “That name sucks.” “Do you want to hear about my team or not?” So young, in fact, that she hasn't even graduated the police academy yet. According to Steve, she's tiny, beautiful, and absolutely terrifying.

The third team member is Chin Ho Kelly, Kono's older cousin and an ex-cop who worked with Steve's father. Danny expresses some concern over the reason Chin left the department but Steve's father always spoke highly of and stuck up for Chin, and that's good enough for Steve. Danny doesn't push too hard - Steve is a stubborn ass, he’s quickly learning. Plus, Chin sounds like a really good guy.

Danny realizes halfway to work, with his phone on speaker in the cup holder, that he could talk to Steve for hours. When he arrives at work, it’s too soon for his taste, and it’s with great reluctance that he ends the call.

Fuck, Danny is screwed.

* * *

 

Despite being fully aware of just how fucked he is, Danny can’t bring himself to pull back from this thing with Steve.

They end up talking regularly - every morning while Danny gets ready for work and drives to work (if Steve gets off work at a sane hour) or in the evening after Danny gets home from work and Steve finishes his early morning swim. They even talk on Danny’s weekends with Grace - Grace insists on talking to Steve every time and Steve surprises Danny with how good he is with the five-year-old. If Danny wasn’t already completely gone on this guy, that would’ve sealed the deal.

Danny learns about Steve - how his mother died in a car crash and his father sent him and his sister away. How he joined the Navy because of his grandfather, who died in Pearl Harbor, and then kind of became a K9 operator by accident after meeting his first dog, Indie, and how she lost her hind legs in an explosion. Danny also learns more about Eddie - primarily about the long list of crazy adventures he got up to as a puppy and just how much Eddie actually  _ enjoys _ parachuting.

“He’s definitely your dog,” Danny chuckles when he hears that. “Crazy ninja SEAL.”

“You’ve never even seen me in action. How would you know I’m crazy or a ninja? Have you been talking to Chin?”

Danny rolls his eyes. “No, I’ve been listening to all your stories every day for a week and a half. You’re a lunatic.”

Steve feigns a hurt gasp. “Rude.”

“You like it.”

“Oh yeah. I love being bullied by a guy on the other side of the planet.”

“Don’t worry, babe. Your secret is safe with me.”

* * *

 

Danny scratches Eddie’s ears, watching as Mark does a check of the bullet wound. It’s mostly healed on the surface but Mark is still keeping an eye on it because of the lingering muscle damage underneath. Eddie did some crazy jumping around a few days before that aggravated it, much to Danny’s chagrin. He seems to have learned his lesson, though, and has been taking it easy.

“I think he’s probably going to be good to travel in a few weeks,” Mark says, giving Eddie’s side a pat. “About a week after he’ll be officially okayed to enter the country.”

Danny nods. Part of him doesn’t want Eddie to go - he’s gotten a little attached to the dog. Or maybe it’s his owner. Either way, Danny finds himself wishing he could follow Eddie to Hawaii. Maybe he will, even if it’s just to visit. After all, it’s a long flight and it would be easier on Eddie if he had someone familiar with him, right?

That’s the only reason for him to go, of course. Just for Eddie.

Yeah.

* * *

 

“Mark says Eddie will be ready to leave the ARC tomorrow, if you want that.”

Danny is laying on his couch, phone to his ear like always. His TV is playing the news on mute but he wasn’t even really paying attention to it  _ before _ Steve called. Now he really isn’t.

“Where would he go?” Steve asks. Danny can hear the now-familiar sound of Steve’s kettle beginning to whistle in the background. Why must Danny be so attracted to people who drink  _ tea _ of all things?

“Buckingham Palace.” Danny rolls his eyes, propping one socked foot up on the arm of the couch. “He’d come home with me, obviously. I have enough room in my flat and there’s a great park nearby. What do you think?”

“You don’t mind having him living with you?”

Danny shakes his head, forgetting for a moment that Steve can’t see him. “Trust me, I don’t mind. Plus, it’ll only be until he’s okayed to travel, right?”

“Right,” Steve says thoughtfully. Danny can hear in his voice how much Steve misses his partner. “That’ll be soon, right?”

“Probably, yeah. Mark figures a week and a half or so.”

Steve sighs. “It’s been forever.”

Danny laughs softly. “I bet it feels like it. Just hang in there a little longer.”

“I shall do my best.”

* * *

 

Eddie’s tail is going a million miles an hour as Danny leads him through the ARC. It’s like he can sense that he’s leaving - knowing Eddie, he probably can.

“Heading out?” Maddie asks when Danny pushes through the door into the waiting room.

“Yup,” Danny replies, holding the door open so it doesn’t close on Eddie’s tail. “I have to pick up Grace, maybe some food. I’m thinking we’ll try that pizza place you recommended.”

Eddie heads right over to her, bumping his nose against her knee in his trademark “pet me move.” Sure enough, Maddie starts scratching behind his ears. “Eddie’s? Tell him I sent you.” She bends down to look Eddie in the eye, giving his head a gentle shake.  “We’re gonna miss you, buddy. You be good for Danny okay?”

Eddie goes to lick her face and she expertly fends him off. Danny chuckles and gives the leash a light tug.

“Come on, Eddie,” he urges. “Let’s go get Grace.”

His car is waiting in the lot, already loaded up with all the supplies the ARC could provide and the things Danny bought on his lunch break. Danny lets Eddie up into the shotgun seat, where Eddie immediately curls up.

The drive to Rachel’s new place is a short one and Grace comes bouncing down the steps with her bag as soon as he arrives. Danny has to park on the street because there’s a second, unfamiliar car behind Rachel’s in the drive.

“Eddie!” Grace shrieks as she climbs into the backseat, practically throwing her bag to the other side as she reaches for the dog.

“Ah, ah,” Danny says, shaking his finger at her. “One: buckle. Two: how do you say hi to a dog?”

Grace ducks her head, pulling her hands back and quickly buckling. “Sorry, Danny.” Slowly, she offers Eddie one hand, held flat like Danny taught her, for Eddie to sniff. “Hi, Eddie, I’m Grace. Danno says you’re gonna stay with us until you’re ready to go home to your owner.”

Danny eyes the car behind Rachel’s. “Grace, who’s here?”

She looks up from where Eddie is licking her hand. “What?”

He gestures to the car before pulling back out onto the road. “Who’s visiting your mom?”

Grace is petting Eddie’s head. “Oh, that’s Stan. He’s from Hawaii. I think Mommy really likes him.”

* * *

 

Life with a dog  _ and _ a five year old is… entertaining. Grace and Eddie hit it off right away. She gives him a tour of the house, and then happily helps Danny get all Eddie's things set out before playing tug-of-war with him while Danny makes dinner.

Now that's a sight Danny could get used to.

After dinner is eaten, dishes are done, and leftovers are put away, Danny shoots Steve a text.

_ To Steve: Eddie's home. Grace loves him. Do you want to Skype, so you can see him? _

The reply is almost instantaneous.

_ From Steve: Yes, please _

Danny doesn't hesitate. He pulls up the Skype app, finds Steve in the contact list, and pushes the little video call button.

Steve picks up after one ring, fumbling a little as he's holding his phone in one hand and toweling his hair dry with the other. He looks really good, little droplets of sea water highlighting the muscular curves of Steve's bare shoulders, the tempting dip of his collarbone. Danny swallows dryly, reminding himself that Grace is less than ten feet away.

Steve says flashes Danny a grin. He's clearly outside - Danny can see the ocean and the sky over his shoulder. “Where's my boy?”

“Oh,  _ I _ see how it is,” Danny chuckles. “You don't care about me at all.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Hi, Danny. It's good to see you.”

Danny smiles, sitting down in one of his kitchen chairs. “It's good to see you, too. Eddie! C'mere!”

Eddie comes bounding across the room, rearing up on his hand legs to put his paws in Danny's lap. His tongue lolls as he pants.

“Got someone who wants to see you,” Danny says, turning the phone so Eddie can see the screen as Grace joins them.

“Eddie!” Steve sounds happier than he's sounded all month at the sight of his dog. Eddie's ears perk up but he just sniffs the phone and looks expectantly at Danny.

“I think he's confused because he can't smell you,” Danny tells Steve, nudging Eddie off his lap only for Grace to take his place.

“Is that Steve?” she asks excitedly. “Hi, Steve! Thank you for letting us borrow Eddie!”

Steve’s smile is soft. “Thank you for taking such good care of him. You must be Grace. Your dad talks about you a lot.”

“He talks about you a lot, too,” she replies with the brutal honesty of a five-year-old. “Eddie, say hi to Steve! I bet he misses you.”

Danny tilts the camera so Steve can see Eddie, who’s licking Grace’s hands and making her giggle.

“Grace, go get the bag of treats,” Danny tells her. “Let’s show Steve the tricks Eddie’s learned.”

The next half hour is spent with Grace going through all the tricks Eddie knows, specifically the newest ones Danny worked hard to teach him - namely roll over and dance - while Steve makes his breakfast. Steve cheers them both on with a blinding smile that makes Danny’s stomach do funny little flips and has him wondering what that smile would do to him in person.

 

Grace cries when Danny has to take her to school on Monday morning, skinny arms thrown around Eddie’s neck. Eddie licks her cheek, clearly concerned, until Danny manages to drag her away. She sniffles in the backseat the whole drive to school, only a little comforted by Danny’s assurances that he’ll bring Eddie over to say goodbye before he has to fly to Hawaii. Danny feels a little bad dropping her off but she’s stopped crying by then and he knows she’ll be okay.

Work without Eddie is weird. Danny feels like a huge portion of his day is suddenly empty and, for the first time on a day without Grace, he can’t wait to get home. The day seems to drag on - at least until after lunch, when he gets to rescue some turtles from a guy trying to smuggle them into the country. That’s an adventure. The turtles are taken to safety by ARC employees and Danny gets to put his police training to use, taking the man down and cuffing him.

“Damn,” Alex says with a chuckle, watching Danny click the handcuffs closed with the expertise of someone who’s done it hundreds of times. “That was badass.”

Danny chuckles, rolling his eyes when the guy under him starts squirming. “Where are you trying to go? Where are you… Where? Where?” He stands up. “Go ahead.” Alex is laughing and the man’s face is flushed angrily but he’s not going anywhere. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

* * *

 

Unfortunately, a turtle smuggler and some lost travelers are the most exciting parts of Danny’s day. The rest goes by at the pace of molasses, as does Danny’s drive home. It feels like the rush hour traffic is especially bad. When he finally gets home, Eddie is waiting at the door with a wagging tail and plenty of kisses, which Danny tries and fails to fend off.

“Yeah, yeah, I missed you, too,” he says, kicking the door closed. “It’s dinner time, isn’t it. C’mon, let’s get some food.”

There are leftovers in the fridge from the night before - simple pan cooked chicken and some baked potatoes - so Danny pops a serving in the microwave. While that warms up, he gives Eddie his dinner.

The meal passes in silence, not that different from any other night without Grace. The main difference is Eddie sitting by Danny’s chair, silently begging him to share his food even though Eddie just ate his own dinner. Danny would be tempted to give him a little chicken if it weren’t for Steve’s strict rule about never feeding Eddie from the table. Instead, Danny waits until after his own dinner is cleaned up before getting the treats out and doing some tricks with him.

The evening is pleasantly quiet after that, with Eddie practically crawling into Danny’s lap to watch TV. Danny talks to him a little, enjoying having someone in the apartment to rant at. Eddie doesn’t seem to mind - in fact, he’s a pretty good listener. He also doesn’t talk back, which is a nice change.

Danny eventually gets ready for bed, stripping down to his boxers and brushing his teeth. Then he does a quick walk through of his apartment, making sure the front door and all the windows are locked. Eddie follows, sniffing carefully around the room. It’s reassuring to have a SEAL dog double check his apartment alongside him.

That is until Eddie starts growling at the front door, seconds before it’s kicked open. Danny stumbles back, mentally caught off guard even as his body instinctively dodges a punch. The man grabs at Danny, gloved fingers slipping a little on his bare skin as the familiar sound of a gun going off reaches Danny’s ears. He feels the bullet rip into his side even as he twists his fingers around the man’s wrist at the same time Eddie’s teeth dig into his forearm.

“ _ Fuck! _ ” the man shouts, revealing a thick Irish accent. “Release me, you filthy animal.”

His grip has loosened as a result of the bite, allowing Danny to rip the gun from his hand. The man is already reaching for another weapon and Danny pulls the trigger, sending bullets into both of the man’s knees and dropping him with a shout.

“Don’t move,” Danny snarls. “Give me the rest of your weapons.”

“Should’ve guess you would fight back,” the man says with a glare even as he tosses over a second handgun and a knife. “McGarrett always did like ‘em feisty.”

Danny grits his teeth.  _ How does he know Steve?  _ “I’m not an idiot. I know you brought more than that.”

Two more knives join the pile. Danny kicks them further away.

Past the man, Danny sees a few of his neighbors gathering. “One of you call the police.”

A few different people are already pulling out their phones, speaking rapidly to whatever England's version of a  911 dispatcher is. Danny is keeping the gun trained on the invader but his side is throbbing and the blood loss is starting to make him woozy.

"Gettin' a little wobbly there," the man sneers, voice low and dangerous just like Eddie's growls. "I gotcha good, didn't I?"

"Shut up," Danny snaps. He can hear sirens quickly growing louder, the screeching of tires in the parking lot, the shouts of police officers.

Suddenly the cops are there, pushing the neighbors back and invading Danny's apartment, and then small hands are wrapping around Danny's.

"Sir," a  officer says, gently prying the gun from his fingers. Danny's eyes snap to her face and he feels someone else press what feels like a towel to his side. "You're okay. We need you to call off your dog."

Danny looks down at Eddie, who's still latched onto the stranger's arm.  _ He doesn't know how _ . "Steve," he manages, shifting his eyes back to her face as he releases the gun and sinks to the floor, clutching at the arm of the officer holding a towel to his wound. "Need to call Steve."

The officers crouch on either side of him, exchanging concerned looks. "Who's Steve?" the first officer asks.

Danny's head is swimming, darkness flickering on the edge of his vision as he struggles to make sense of what she's saying. "My phone," he gasps. "Password is 'Grace'. Steve knows how."

He sinks back onto the floor, seeing more people in paramedic uniforms come into view just before his vision goes dark.

* * *

 

Grace is so small against Danny’s side.

He sighs softly, finally dragging his eyes away from her sleeping form to where Rachel is sitting on the couch. She’s kicked her heels off and tucked her feet up, like she used to do when she would cuddle with Danny during movie nights. Her chin is propped up on one manicured hand and her eyes are closed, but they open after a second like she can feel Danny looking at her.

“Hi,” she says quietly. “Are you feeling okay?”

Danny takes a quick stock of his body. It’s the second day after his apartment was invaded and Danny is still tired after yesterday's second surgery, even though he slept all night and took a nap after lunch. Nothing hurts at the moment, though. In fact, Danny feels pretty damn good.

“I’m fine,” he assures her.

Rachel nods, fiddling nervously with her hands. “Danny,” she murmurs. “This is pretty bad timing, I know, but I need to tell you before Grace does.”

Danny frowns, concern welling up in his chest. “What’s wrong?”

She smiles. “Nothing’s wrong, I promise. I just…” she draws a deep breath and then holds out her left hand. “I’m getting married.”

Sure enough, there on her ring finger is a diamond, and for a moment Danny’s speechless. Sure, Grace told him Rachel was seeing some guy named Stan, but he hadn’t realized things were that serious yet.

“Oh, wow,” he says finally, smiling. “Congratulations. When do I get to meet him?”

Rachel lights up at that. “Soon, I hope,” she says. “Maybe we can do dinner or something. Grace really likes him and I hope you will, too.”

Danny nods, glancing down at Grace again. “That sounds good. Where’s he from?”

She ducks her head, smile faltering. “This is the part I’ve been nervous to tell you.”

His stomach twists.

“He lives in Hawaii,” she finally says. “So Grace and I are moving to Honolulu.”

Danny’s jaw drops. If he was surprised to hear about the engagement, this is even more shocking. What are the odds?

Rachel is talking quickly, clearly worried about Danny’s reaction. “It won’t be until after the wedding, so you’ll have a few months to prepare. I know you hate moving but I figured at least it’s the States and not-”

“Rachel,” Danny says firmly. “It’s okay.”

Her words come to a screeching halt, eyes wide in shock. “It is?”

“Yes,” he assures her. “It’s okay.”

Before he can explain, Grace stirs at the same time a nurse pokes her head in.

“Hi, Danny,” the nurse says as Grace stretches and yawns. “It’s time to do some checks, just to make sure that everything looks okay.”

“Of course,” Danny replies, petting Grace’s hair. “Rachel, will you take Grace out?”’

“Nooo,” Grace whines. “I don’t wanna go.”

"Grace,” Danny sighs, giving his daughter’s hand a squeeze. “Go with your mom and get some real food while the nurses do their thing.”

Grace is pouting and Danny’s really close to breaking but Rachel is tugging gently on one of Grace’s braids. “Come along, sweetheart,” she says. “We’ll come right back after, I promise.”

Grace looks between them, and then caves. “Okay,” she sighs, leaning in to hug Danny before jumping off the bed. “Love you, Danno.”

“Danno loves you, too, monkey,” Danny replies, watching her go with a smile.

The nurses move in then, doing all the checks and stuff they need to do now that Grace isn’t around to be scarred for life. Danny answers all their questions, obediently rolling a little so they can get at his bandages and make sure everything’s clean. He complains the proper amount, grinning to himself at their laughter and little snarky comments. It makes the poking and prodding a little more tolerable.

Once the nurses clear out again, Danny settles back on his bed to wait for Grace and Rachel to return. He turns the TV on, flipping lazy through channels until he finds a soccer game between two teams he doesn’t recognize.

He’s not sure how long he half-watches the game before he hears voices outside his room. One he recognizes immediately as his daughter’s - high and sweet, chattering incessantly to anyone who will listen - and one his brain takes a moment longer to process - deeper, softer, responding with interest to anything Grace says.

“Steve?” he calls.

The door opens and there he is, all six foot something of him. Danny’s stomach does a funny little slide and flip at the sight and he can’t stop himself from grinning like an idiot.

“Danny,” Steve sighs, crossing the room. He stops when he reaches the bed, though, apparently hesitant to touch even though Danny can see the need written all over his face and shaking hands. “Are you…?”

Danny rolls his eyes and grabs Steve’s hand. “Kiss me,” he demands.

Steve immediately relaxes, folding to sit on the edge of the bed and leaning in to kiss Danny. Grace can be heard from the doorway, giggling and telling Rachel something Danny should probably be concerned about but decides to ignore.

“Fuck,” Steve murmurs, one hand curling around the back of Danny’s head as the other settles over Danny's heart. Danny covers that one with his own. “I'm so sorry, Danny.” His voice is quiet, a little broken, and Danny frowns.

"Hey," Danny murmurs. "What're you sorry for? It's not your fault a guy burst into my apartment and tried to kill me."

Steve shakes his head. "No, if I'd been more careful. Called from a secure line or something-"

"Steven. I’m okay,” Danny assures him. “What are you doing here? What happened?”

“One of the officers called me,” Steve explains. “They couldn’t get Eddie to let go of Victor and you said to call me just before you passed out, so they did.”

Danny frowns - he doesn't remember much that happened after telling someone to call the cops but that's not the part of what Steve said that's confusing. “Victor? The guy who…?” he trails off, glancing over to see just how close Grace is.

Luckily, Steve understands. “Apparently he wasn’t actually dead,” Steve says through gritted teeth. “I’m so sorry, Danny, I should have-”

“Stop.”

Steve’s mouth clicks shut.

“This isn’t your fault,” Danny tells him again. “This isn’t my fault. The only one to blame for this is Victor.”

Steve nods, resting his forehead against Danny’s. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Danny tilts his chin up to kiss Steve again. “Me, too.”

“Danno, Danno, tell him where we’re moving to!”

Grace comes bouncing over, climbing up onto the bed beside Steve.

“Where are you moving to?” Steve asks, glancing between the two of them, and Danny grins.


End file.
